Department for Transport

Blue Badge Scheme: Motor Neurone Disease

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ease the application process for individuals with motor neurone disease renewing their blue badge parking permits.

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will permit individuals with motor neurone disease to renew their blue badge parking permits automatically without renewal application forms.

Wendy Morton: Applications to the Blue Badge scheme are not dependent upon condition but are based on the need of the applicant to park closer to their destination. Local authorities are responsible for administering the scheme locally and all local authority administrators have the discretion to add a ‘not for reassessment’ marker to individual Blue Badge records, including for applicants with Motor Neurone Disease. The Department has recently made changes to the online application process and operates a continuous improvement programme based on user research to make it easier for all applicants to apply for a badge.

East West Rail Line: Finance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on funding and delivery for remaining phases of East West Rail.

Wendy Morton: The East West Rail project is planned to create a direct rail link between Oxford and Cambridge. Connection Stage 2 (Bletchley to Bedford) and Connection Stage 3 (Bedford to Cambridge) of East West Rail are at development stage, and options for the sections were consulted on as part of a wide-ranging non-statutory consultation from March-June 2021.East West Rail Company is currently reviewing submissions to this and intends to publish the response to the consultation later this year.Following the 2021 Spending Review, funding has been remitted to East West Rail Company over the next three years to continue the development and design of the proposed railway between Bletchley and Cambridge.

British Airways: Data Protection

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on British Airways' use of VeriFLY and its (a) data sharing policies and (b) implications for British citizens flying with British Airways who are (i) concerned about digital privacy and (ii) digitally excluded.

Robert Courts: The use of VeriFLY is a matter for British Airways and their customers.

DP World and P&O Ferries: Correspondence

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish all correspondence between his Department and (a) P&O Ferries and (b) DP World over the last six months.

Robert Courts: I will instruct officials to review all correspondence relevant to this issue and consider the appropriate mechanism to make this available.

P&O Ferries: Redundancy

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date he was informed that the (a) Kent Resilience Forum or (b) Cabinet Office were being convened to manage disruption as a result of dismissals of employees by P&O Ferries.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he was informed that P&O intended to re-employ staff on new terms and conditions.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he was informed of P&O's intention to use agency staff to restart routes.

Robert Courts: The Transport Secretary was standing at the Despatch Box on Thursday 17 March when he was passed a note about redundancies taking place.

P&O Ferries: Redundancy

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on whether P&O Ferries notified the competent authority of its intention to make 800 employees redundant.

Robert Courts: There are clear requirements around both consultation and notification when making collective redundancies. The vessels in question are under the flags of Cyprus, Bermuda and Bahamas, so notification should have been given to them. However, the period in which such notice should be given (45 days’ notice where 100 or more redundancies) still applies so if these authorities were only notified on 17 March, that suggests P&O have failed to comply. We are actively working with other Governments to establish the facts on this and will assess next steps in due course. The Chief Executive of P&O Ferries has admitted that he broke the law by choosing not to consult staff.

DP World and P&O Ferries: Contracts

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the review of Government contracts with P&O Ferries and DP World.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the value of contracts with Government held by DP World as of 23 March 2022.

Robert Courts: The Government has instructed a total examination of any contracts in place with P&O Ferries and DP World across Government.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it a condition of licence to operate out of UK ports that vessels pay the National Minimum Wage.

Robert Courts: The Government is strongly committed to the welfare and protection of workers’ rights. Already we have strengthened the minimum wage to apply to all seafarers ordinarily working in our territorial waters - regardless of their nationality and regardless of where the vessel they are working is registered. Furthermore, on 30 March 2022 the Transport Secretary announced a nine-point plan to Parliament to ensure there is no repeat of P&O ferries actions. 1. Changing the law so that seafarers are paid at least the minimum wage. 2. Writing to ports to request they bar access to ferry operators which do not pay the minimum wage. 3. Working with international partners to create minimum wage corridors. 4. Stepping up enforcement by asking HMRC to investigate the maritime sector. 5. Requiring the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to step up and review their enforcement policies. 6. Financially penalising companies which use fire and rehire. 7. Taking action against P&O Ferries’ Chief Executive. 8. Improving the long-term working conditions of seafarers. 9. Encouraging more ships to operate under the British flag, affording the workers on board more rights.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received on the seafarers exemption for the National Minimum Wage.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of seafarers working on UK-international routes who are not paid the National Minimum Wage.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of vessels operating out of UK ports that do not pay the National Minimum Wage.

Robert Courts: We will be taking action to defend the rights of British workers and we will be encouraging workers themselves to take action under the 1996 Employment Rights Act. Colleagues at BEIS will be able to offer further insight on the legal action to be taken. The Government is strongly committed to the welfare and protection of workers’ rights. Already we have strengthened the minimum wage to apply to all seafarers ordinarily working in our territorial waters - regardless of their nationality and regardless of where the vessel they are working is registered. Furthermore, on 30 March 2022 the Transport Secretary announced a nine-point plan to Parliament to ensure there is no repeat of P&O ferries actions. 1. Changing the law so that seafarers are paid at least the minimum wage. 2. Writing to ports to request they bar access to ferry operators which do not pay the minimum wage. 3. Working with international partners to create minimum wage corridors. 4. Stepping up enforcement by asking HMRC to investigate the maritime sector. 5. Requiring the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to step up and review their enforcement policies. 6. Financially penalising companies which use fire and rehire. 7. Taking action against P&O Ferries’ Chief Executive. 8. Improving the long-term working conditions of seafarers. 9. Encouraging more ships to operate under the British flag, affording the workers on board more rights.

P&O Ferries: Redundancy

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he became aware that redundancies made by P&O Ferries could lead to disruption of up to ten days.

Robert Courts: The Transport Secretary was standing at the Despatch Box on Thursday 17 March when he was passed a note about redundancies taking place.

P&O Ferries

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish all responses to the memo sent to him and 10 Downing Street regarding P&O Ferries on 16 March 2022.

Robert Courts: Officials are not aware of any written responses to the memo.

Taxis: Dogs

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure that guide dog owners are not unlawfully refused access to taxis and minicabs.

Wendy Morton: It is unacceptable that some taxi and PHV drivers refuse assistance dogs carriage. In December 2020, we launched a package of disability equality training to improve the transport sector’s confidence and skills in delivering inclusive journeys for disabled passengers. The Government also remains committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. On 28 March we published for consultation updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities including a strong recommendation that taxi and PHV drivers are required to complete disability awareness training.

Speed Limits

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23 March 2022 to Question 142060, what assessment he has made of the success of policies to introduce 60mph speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways in reducing (a) fuel consumption and (b) air pollution; and what assessment he has made of the impact of lowering the speed limit on levels of noise pollution on motorways and dual carriageways adjacent to residential areas.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2022 to Question 42060 on Motorways: Pollution Control, what assessment National Highways has made of the potential merits of reducing the speed limit to 60mph on the M5 between junctions 2 and 3.

Trudy Harrison: Speed limits have been reduced from 70mph to 60mph between Junctions 1 and 2 of the M5, as well as a small distance south from Junction 2 to improve air quality. The analysis of the 60mph speed limits on traffic flows and speeds and air quality measurements are currently being evaluated by National Highways. National Highways is not gathering information directly on fuel usage nor is it making an assessment of the noise changes as a result of 60mph speed limits.

Hammersmith Bridge: Repairs and Maintenance

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to allocate funding for the restoration and reopening of Hammersmith Bridge.

Trudy Harrison: The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF) owns and is responsible for the maintenance of and repairs to Hammersmith Bridge.The full reopening of Hammersmith Bridge to all users including motor vehicles remains a ministerial priority. As agreed in the 01 June 2021 Transport for London (TfL) extraordinary funding and finance deal, the government will fund up to one third of the total for the project with LBHF and TfL committing to do the same.

Driving Licences: Applications

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the DVLA is taking steps to prioritise applications from (a) ambulance drivers, (b) bus drivers and (c) taxi drivers who have outstanding licence applications.

Trudy Harrison: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is prioritising the processing of vocational licences, which includes applications for entitlement to drive buses and from ambulance drivers applying for categories C and C1. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, including renewals, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. For the majority of taxi drivers, a non-vocational, category B driving licence is required. The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the DVLA’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days. However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. The DVLA is working hard to reduce waiting times for paper applications and has recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham. These measures are having a positive impact and customers should continue to see an improving picture in terms of waiting times for paper applications. There may be additional delays in processing more complex transactions, for example if medical investigations are needed. However, the large majority of applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found here.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Pavement parking: options for change consultation which closed in November 2020, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce pavement parking.

Trudy Harrison: We will publish the formal consultation response and announce next steps as soon as possible. The formal consultation response will be available to view on the Gov.uk website at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking.

Bus Services: Standards

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to publish an updated Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Trudy Harrison: The National Bus Strategy asked that all English Local Transport Authorities outside London publish Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs). BSIPs should be updated annually by local authorities and reflected in their Local Transport Plans.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Carbon Capture and Storage: Scotland

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending (a) support the Acorn Project in northeast Scotland and (b) other carbon capture usage and storage projects.

Greg Hands: The Acorn Project is the reserve cluster in Track-1 of the Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage Cluster Sequencing process. The Government has continued to engage with the cluster to help it continue its development and planning, and has allocated the project more than £40m in development funding in recent years. The Government intends to bring forward a process to facilitate the deployment of additional ‘Track-2’ clusters.

Imports: Hydrogen

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to ban the import of Russian produced hydrogen sourced from methane; and whether he has made an assessment of the available options to achieve that.

Greg Hands: The Government is not aware of any significant imports of hydrogen produced in Russia to the UK. The Government is focussed on developing the hydrogen economy in the UK and working with industry to achieve 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity in the UK by 2030.

Drax Power Station: Timber

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the average age of trees used to produce wood pellets for the Drax power station is; and what estimate he has made of how long it takes before the replacement trees will sequester carbon at the same rate as those felled.

Greg Hands: BEIS does not hold this information. The UK only supports sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that complies with strict sustainability criteria. Suppliers must demonstrate to the regulators (Ofgem) that they meet the criteria, and their evidence is independently audited. Ofgem make sustainability information publicly available on their website, with the latest dataset accessible here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2019-20.

Carbon Emissions: Coal and Timber

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the IPCC data which shows that the carbon emissions from burning wood are 1.18 times higher than those for burning coal; and what the corresponding change in gross stack emissions has been at Drax per MWh as a result of its switch to wood from coal.

Greg Hands: The UK reports and accounts for biomass use in accordance with internationally agreed rules, follow the guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This guidance avoids double counting of emissions in both the forest and energy sectors. The loss of carbon stock from harvesting operations in the forestry sector are reported in the Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry sector of the country of harvest and may lead to an increase in the carbon stock of other carbon pools such as deadwood, litter, soil and harvested wood products. The portion of forestry products that is used for energy is assumed to be instantaneously oxidised in the country in which harvesting happens. For transparency, the UK reports internationally the emissions of carbon dioxide from bioenergy use as a memo item, outside of national totals, in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change requirements. It also reports the emissions of nitrous oxide and methane from biomass combustion as part of the national total of GHG emissions. OFGEM also publishes data on company-specific supply chain emissions from biomass, which can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2019-20

Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps is his Department taking to support the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project.

Greg Hands: The Government continues to assess the best options for supporting its decarbonisation commitments, including international projects.

Energy: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to (a) support and (b) incentivise the development and adoption of (i) greener alternative technologies and (ii) improvements in the energy efficiency of vehicles and machinery in the business sector in Northern Ireland.

Greg Hands: Last year the Government published its Transport Decarbonisation Plan and Net Zero Strategy which sets out the measures and support for decarbonising transport and other industries in line with the UK’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050. This includes the introduction of a zero-emission vehicle mandate in the UK to ensure that a percentage of manufacturers' new car and vans sales are zero emission from 2024.

Energy: Park Homes

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing support for mobile home owners who do not have accounts with energy suppliers and who are ineligible for existing Government support under the Warm Home Discount Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant and Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Greg Hands: The Government worked with Charis Grants to set up the Park Homes Warm Home Discount scheme seven years ago, which is open to mobile or park home residents who pay for their bills through pitch fees or to their site owner. The scheme is funded by energy suppliers through Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives. Around £400,000 in funding was available for the Park Homes Warm Home Discount this year (2021/22), with over 2,600 park home residents across Great Britain receiving £140 towards their energy bills through the scheme. Existing park homes are eligible for support under the Home Upgrade Grant and the Local Authority Delivery Scheme. Constituents should contact their local authority to make enquiries. Park home residents also benefit from energy efficiency measures under the Energy Company Obligation. Park homes may also be eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme provided that the property has an Energy Performance Certificate with no outstanding recommendations for loft or cavity wall insulation. For full eligibility criteria, please refer to the draft regulations for the scheme.

Fuels: Prices

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of rising fuel costs on disabled people.

Greg Hands: The Government is committed to protecting customers from price spikes, particularly vulnerable customers. This support includes:A £200 rebate for households delivered via their energy bill this autumn, paid back automatically over the next 5 years, spreading the increased costs of global prices over time in a way that is more manageable for households.A £150 non-repayable reduction in Council Tax bills for all households in Bands A-D in England.£144 million of discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support households who need support but are not eligible for the Council Tax reduction.This is in addition to the range of support for low-income, fuel poor and vulnerable households including:Warm Home Discount, providing eligible households with a one-off £140 discount on their energy bill for winter 2021 to 2022.The Winter Fuel Payments, worth between £100 and £300 are paid automatically to those in receipt of State Pension or other social security benefit.The Cold Weather Payments, which is a £25 payment for vulnerable households on qualifying benefits when the weather is or expected to be unusually cold.As announced in the Spring Statement, the Government has also provided an extra £500 million for local authorities through the new Household Support Fund to provide help to millions of the most in need.

Warm Home Discount scheme

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of changes to the Warm Home Discount scheme on people claiming (a) disability living allowance, (b) personal independence payments and (c) attendance allowance, who will no longer be eligible to apply for that scheme.

Greg Hands: The Warm Home Discount is a key part of the Government’s strategy to tackle fuel poverty. The Government consulted on reforming the Warm Home Discount scheme to better target fuel poverty and to provide the rebates automatically to households, as announced in the Energy White Paper. The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in the coming weeks. The reforms include focusing support on households on the lowest incomes who are struggling to heat their homes. Eligibility would therefore be linked to receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefit and having high energy costs. Households in receipt of a disability benefit, as well as one of the qualifying means-tested benefits and with high energy costs, would be eligible for a rebate.

Energy: Meters

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing support to users of prepayment energy meters who are unable to make prepayment.

Greg Hands: Ofgem has rules in place that require energy suppliers to provide extra support for customers using prepayment meters. These include an obligation on suppliers to make emergency and friendly-hours credit available to all pre-payment meter customers. Where a supplier identifies that a prepayment customer is self-disconnecting or self-rationing their supply, they must also offer additional support credit. When assessing how a customer will repay any credit offered, suppliers must consider their ability to pay. The Government is already taking action to support households with rising energy bills through a package of support worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23. This includes a £150 Council Tax rebate for bands A-D for properties in England, with funding provided to the Devolved Administrations for comparable provision, £144 million discretionary funding for local authorities and a £200 energy bill reduction from October 2022 to be recouped over 5 years from 2023. This support is available to customers with prepayment meters. As announced in the Spring Statement, the Government continues to provide targeted cost of living support for households most in need. From April, an additional £500 million will be provided to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing total funding for this support to £1 billion. In England, £421 million will be provided to extend the existing Household Support Fund, whilst the devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.

Renewable Energy: Investment

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase investment in (a) solar, (b) nuclear, and (c) hydrogen power, as well as offshore and onshore wind capacity.

Greg Hands: The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is the Government’s flagship scheme for supporting new renewable electricity generation projects in Great Britain. The latest round is the largest yet and aims to secure more capacity than the three previous rounds combined by supporting an expanded number of renewable technologies including onshore and offshore wind and solar. In February the Government also announced that the next CfD allocation round will be brought forward to March 2023, and future rounds will run annually, rather than every two years, thereafter. These steps will help drive forward the deployment of renewable power. Government support for investment in nuclear energy includes:Progressing the Nuclear Energy (Financing) Bill through Parliament. The Bill will enable use of the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model for nuclear projects, which will help to facilitate private sector investment.Announcing a £100m Combined Option agreement with EDF to support the development of Sizewell C, to help bring it to maturity and attract investment.Committing up to £1.7bn of funding to support a new gigawatt-scale nuclear project reaching Final Investment Decision this Parliament.Investing up to £210m in support of the Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor, as part of wider funding for Advanced Nuclear Technologies. Funding for this project will be matched by private investment.A new £120m Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to provide targeted support to address barriers to entry for future nuclear.It is also the Government’s intention to consult on classifying nuclear energy as a green investment under the UK Green Taxonomy, which is designed to drive investment into key low carbon companies and industries, as part of the green industrial revolution. On hydrogen power, the Government is exploring the need and case for further market intervention to support low carbon capacity deployment and ensure unabated gas capacity has clear decarbonisation pathways. In summer 2022, the Government intends to publish a consultation expanding existing Decarbonisation Readiness requirements for new build and refurbishing combustion power plants to demonstrate they have viable decarbonisation plan by converting to either hydrogen generation or Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Professions

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to incorporate research training and career progression into future NHS workforce plans to train, recruit and develop healthcare professionals.

Edward Argar: The NHS People Plan set out actions to support career progression in the National Health Service. This included a continued focus on developing skills and expanding capabilities to create more flexibility, boost morale and support career progression.The Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic programme, managed by the National Institute for Health Research, provides research training awards for most health care professionals who wish to develop careers that combine research and research leadership with continued practice and professional development.

NHS: Vacancies

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to tackle workforce shortages within the NHS in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Edward Argar: In Coventry, NHS England is overseeing a programme to increase the workforce, including further development of the reservist programme; international recruitment for nurses and therapy roles; a partnership with the University of Coventry to expand the number of undergraduate places; primary care initiatives for general practitioners to support retention; and a system-wide needs analysis to support staff wellbeing. In the West Midlands, NHS England is addressing vacancies in the region through health and wellbeing initiatives, with the emphasis on supporting staff to be able to attend work; reducing pressure on staffing and improving retention; improved opportunities for flexible working including retire and return; supporting the workforce with the addition of the reservists; and international recruitment initiatives in nursing and the allied health professions. In England, eligible new and continuing nursing students at English universities receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 for three years. In addition, extra grants of up to £3,000 per academic year are available to eligible students with child dependents or those studying specialist subjects. We have also increased the number of funded medical school places by 25% over three years to 2020. The first cohort of these students will enter foundation training from this year. This expansion also delivered five new medical schools in England.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letters of 25 October 2021 and 5 January 2022 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of his constituent Ms Finnegan, relating to social care badges.

Edward Argar: We replied to the hon. Member on 30 March 2022.

Social Services: Coronavirus

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of workers who have left the social care sector in England as a result of making vaccination for covid-19 a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector.

Edward Argar: NHS England and NHS Improvement publish weekly statistics on the number of social care staff. However, data on the reasons for staff exit are not collected. Following a public consultation, regulations were laid to revoke vaccination as a condition of deployment came into force on 15 March 2022.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide assistance to the hon. Member for West Lancashire in gaining a response to her letter to NHS England and Improvement Chief Executive Amanda Prichard, regarding FOI responses, dated 10 November 2021, ref ZA55419.

Edward Argar: NHS England and NHS Improvement have apologised for the delay in responding to the hon. Member’s letter dated 10 November 2021. Officials have been advised that a response has been sent to the hon. Member on 30 March 2022.

Ambulance Services: Rural Areas

Dehenna Davison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that rural ambulance services (a) are prompt and (b) receive the resources they need.

Edward Argar: National Health Service ambulance service trusts are commissioned and funded by NHS clinical commissioning groups in both rural and urban areas. This is supported by a further £55 million of national funding to increase ambulance trust capacity and response times in winter 2021/22.

General Practitioners: Incentives

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether senior academic GPs will be included in the National Clinical Excellence Awards.

Edward Argar: The National Clinical Excellence Awards have been reformed and renamed the National Clinical Impact Awards. Academic general practitioners are eligible to apply for an award providing they meet the eligibility criteria provided in the 2022 guidance for applicants which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clinical-excellence-awards-application-guidance/guide-for-applicants-national-clinical-excellence-awards-2021-awards-round

IVF

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support take up of IVF treatments.

Maria Caulfield: The Department undertook an internal policy review on the variation in access to National Health Service fertility services, which was completed in 2021. The results of this internal review will inform future policy. We will set out our initial ambitions in the Women’s Health Strategy, due to be published in the spring.

Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) make an assessment of the psychological impact of the covid-19 outbreak on blood cancer patients and (b) implement the collection of formal data to measure that impact.

Maria Caulfield: We are committed to ensuring that all cancer patients have access to holistic needs assessments and personalised care interventions. This will ensure that care focuses on the individual whilst empowering them to self-manage where appropriate and to seek help when required. Data from Cancer Alliances in March 2021 showed that approximately 83% of all cancer multi-disciplinary teams had implemented personalised care and support planning based on holistic needs assessments during the pandemic.The are no current plans to implement the collection of formal data to measure the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on blood cancer patients. However, the National Health Service is collecting patient level data in relation to personalised care interventions to assess progress.

Rare Diseases: Health Services

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support patients with rare diseases.

Maria Caulfield: The 2021 UK Rare Diseases Framework set out four priorities for improving the lives of people living with rare diseases: helping patients receive a faster final diagnosis; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatments and drugs. Each United Kingdom nation has committed to publishing an action plan by the end of 2022, outlining how the Framework will be implemented. England’s Rare Diseases Action Plan was published on 28 February 2022. The Plan was developed with partners across the health system and the rare disease community, setting out 16 actions for the four priorities. A second annual Action Plan will be published in 2023 to report on progress and proposing updated and new actions.

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Teachers

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the upcoming SEND Review and Green Paper, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of revising the Initial Teacher Training framework to ensure that all teachers are equipped to teach children with (a) speech, language and communication needs and (b) other special educational needs.

Mr Robin Walker: Since September 2020, all courses offered by initial teacher training (ITT) providers have been aligned to a mandatory core content framework (CCF), which was published in November 2019. The framework sets out a minimum entitlement for all trainee teachers.Evidence shows that teacher quality is the most important factor within schools in improving outcomes for all children, particularly those from a disadvantaged background, or for those with additional needs. The CCF is therefore key to the government’s plans to improve school standards for all.The CCF is based on the best peer-reviewed evidence about what works and is designed to emphasis the importance of high quality teaching. The framework therefore deliberately does not detail approaches specific to particular needs, but what makes the most effective teaching. The department expects ITT providers and their partners to continue to tailor their curricula to the needs of their trainees and the children in the schools where they train and will work, which may include pupils with specific speech, language and communication needs.Additionally, courses must continue to be designed so that trainee teachers can demonstrate that they meet the Teachers’ Standards at the end of their course, including standard 5, which is clear that teachers must have an understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs.In July 2021 we published the government response to the ITT Review which set out new quality requirements for all ITT from September 2024 and the government's aim to ensure that all trainee teachers experience consistently high-quality ITT that incorporates the ITT Core Content Framework in full.This week, the department published the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Green Paper for full public consultation. These proposals set out a system that offers children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive adult lives.

Special Educational Needs

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of waiting times for special educational needs assessments and (b) potential effect of those waiting times on the education of affected young people.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to empower local educational authorities and children’s services across England to help ensure minimal waiting times for assessments of children and young people with special educational needs.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on cross-departmental approaches to ensuring that local authorities have adequate resources to minimise waiting times for assessments for children and young people with special educational needs.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to monitor and track the progress of assessments for children with special educational needs for the purposes of ensuring that assessments are (a) carried out in a timely manner and (b) effective in determining the needs of each child.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the leadership of United Learning and other groupings of state-funded and fee-paying independent schools regarding their provision for children with special educational needs.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has had recent discussions with the leadership of United Learning on waiting times for assessments of children with special education needs within their schools and academies.

Will Quince: The department closely monitors the timeliness of local authority assessments of education, health and care (EHC) plans. In the calendar year 2020, national special educational needs (SEN) 2 data showed that the proportion of plans completed within 20 weeks was 58% (in Kirklees it was 83.4%). The department recognises there is variation across local authorities in assessment and that delays may have an effect on the delivery of provision that is needed by children and young people. That is why local authorities can make provision and placements available during an assessment, rather than waiting for the final plan to be issued. The department is committed to supporting and monitoring local authorities and their partners to improve special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, including providing direct support and challenge to individual areas, and delivering regular training programmes on statutory EHC plan duties. Additionally, the department works with SEND and National Health Service England (NHSE) Advisers on improvement work with local areas where significant performance issues are identified in an Ofsted/Care Quality Commission (CQC) joint area SEND inspection. We are currently working with partners on a new area SEND inspection framework. The SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper was published on 29 March 2022. These set out a suite of proposed reforms that seek to create a coherent education, health and care system that works in the interests of all children in England and levels up opportunities. The department is providing opportunities for children, parents, carers and those working across the SEND system to provide feedback during the 13-week consultation period. In the 2022/23 financial year, local authorities will have access to £54.1 billion core spending power (£3.7 billion more than this financial year and a 4.5% growth in real terms) to deliver their services, including for children and young people with SEND. As part of this, the government also boosted the social care grant, increasing it to over £2.3 billion. United Learning consists of two charities, which are responsible for the operation of the Group’s schools. The Schools White Paper sets out the vision for a stronger and fairer school system that works for every child, encouraging the growth of the best school trusts as the collaborative structure best suited to supporting quality teaching. This will be delivered in close alignment with the findings of the SEND Review.

Special Educational Needs: Autism

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is he taking to help ensure that children with autism receive timely assessments to determine their educational needs.

Will Quince: The government’s national strategy for improving the lives of autistic people and their families and carers, published in 2021, has been extended to children and young people, as well as adults, in recognition of the importance of ensuring that they are diagnosed and receive the right support as early as possible and across their lifetime. It is backed by funding of over £74 million in the first year alone to improve understanding in society, reduce diagnosis waiting times, and improve access to and the quality of health, social care, and education for autistic people. On 1 February 2022, the department announced more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) over the next three financial years. These programmes will target support to improve monitoring, support and intervention for local authorities and local health and care partners’ delivery of statutory SEND services. They will improve participation and access for parents and young people for high quality advice and support and directly support schools and colleges to effectively work with pupils with SEND, for example through training on specific needs like autism. The department recognises that the current SEND system, established through the Children and Families Act 2014, does not consistently deliver the services needed by children and young people and their families. The department has undertaken a comprehensive review of how the system has evolved since 2014 and how it can be made to work best for all families, ensuring quality of provision is the same across the country. The SEND review will be published in the form of a green paper that will be made available imminently.

Special Educational Needs: Regional Planning and Development

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government's levelling up agenda includes improvements in provision for children with special educational needs.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking taken together with local authorities and other Government departments to increase the (a) quality and (b) pace of children’s special educational needs assessments across England.

Will Quince: The government is determined to level up opportunities for all children and young people without exception. The department is just as ambitious for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as it is for every other child.This week, the department published the SEND and alternative provision (AP) green paper, setting out proposals for a system that offers children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with access to the right support, in the right place and at the right time, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive adult lives.The green paper includes proposals to establish a new national SEND and AP system that will set new standards for how needs are identified and met across education, health and care, including proposals to introduce a standardised and digitised education, health and care plan process, and a template to minimise bureaucracy and deliver consistency.The new standards will mean that, in future, parents and carers can be confident that their child’s needs will be met effectively in the most appropriate local education provider, without having to fight to secure the appropriate support for their child’s needs. Parents will be clear about what support their child is receiving and they will be engaged in decision-making at every stage.

Teachers: Resignations

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers resigned from their positions after two years of starting their job in the year 2020-21.

Mr Robin Walker: Information on the reason teachers leave and move positions, including resignation for another position, is not routinely analysed by the department.Information on the school workforce in state-funded schools in England, including the retention of qualified teachers, is published in the annual ‘School Workforce in England’ national statistic release at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england. The latest information is as of November 2020. Figures for November 2021 will be published in June 2022.In total, 80.5%, or 20,965 full-time equivalents (FTE), of deferred and newly qualified entrants to teaching in 2018 were still teaching in state-funded schools in England two years after qualification. The remaining 19.5%, or 5,076 FTE, were no longer teaching in state-funded schools.For contextual information, 34,116 FTE qualified teachers left state-funded schools in England between November 2019 and November 2020, and 43,516 FTE qualified teachers were new entrants during the period. Note that this is not limited to those that joined service in the previous two years.Table 1: Qualified leavers from teaching, by leaver type, full-time equivalent numbersNovember 2020Leaver typeTeachersOut of service29,524Retired4,462Deceased130Total34,116Source: School Workforce Census 2020.

Schools: Agency Workers

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average (a) cost per hour and (b) signing bonus is of agency-provided teaching staff in (i) Oxford, (ii) Oxfordshire, (iii) South East and (iv) England.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what qualifications are required of agency-provided staff in schools in (a) Oxford, (b) Oxfordshire, (c) South East and (d) England.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of low Ofsted ratings on levels of schools’ reliance on agency-provided staff.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of the Government's arrangement with the Crown Commercial Service on levels of (a) fees transparency in teaching staff agencies and (b) agency-supplied staff fees.

Mr Robin Walker: School leaders are best placed to determine the workforce required to meet the needs of their pupils. Headteachers have the freedom to contract supply staff to suit them, the school, and its pupils. Schools can contract supply staff in a variety of ways, including through supply agencies and the rate of pay depends on who employs a supply teacher. State maintained schools or local authorities who directly employ supply teachers must pay in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the ‘School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions’ document. If a supply teacher is employed by a non-maintained school, a multi academy trust (MAT) or agency, the 'employer' can set the rates of pay and conditions of supply. Agency Worker Regulations provides that all workers on assignments that exceed 12 weeks are paid on equal terms as permanent staff after the 12th week.Agency-provided staff are subject to the same legal requirements as permanent staff employed at the school. For teaching staff this includes having Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). In deploying staff, headteachers should be satisfied that the person has the appropriate skills, expertise, and experience to carry out the work. This includes ensuring that safe ratios are met, and specific training undertaken for any interventions or care for pupils with complex needs where specific training or specific ratios are required.Supply agencies are private businesses and are not required to report data to the government.Information on expenditure by schools on agency supply staff is published in the annual LA and school expenditure statistic which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure.This includes data for local authority-maintained schools in the 2020/21 financial year. School level data is also published on the Schools Financial Benchmarking website which can be accessed here: https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/. This includes data for local authority maintained schools in the 2020/21 financial year and academies in the 2019/20 financial year.Ofsted’s role is to inspect and report on the quality of education pupils are receiving, and their safeguarding. Where a school is judged Inadequate by Ofsted, the department may intervene to ensure that the school can benefit from the support of a strong trust. As announced in the Schools White Paper, the department is currently consulting on plans to support schools with two consecutive Ofsted judgements below Good to join strong trusts.In August 2018, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, the department launched the agency supply deal, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.​The deal supports schools to get value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. Supply agencies that sign up to the deal agree to certain standards, including the elimination of ‘temp-to-perm’ or ‘finders fees’, where a supply teachers has been in post for 12 weeks.We are reviewing that framework, and have consulted interested parties, including schools, agencies, and trade unions.

Childminding: Coronavirus

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support childminders who have lost work due to testing positive for covid-19 or due to a positive case in their household following the closure of Test and Trace Support Payment scheme.

Will Quince: Keeping children and staff safe is the department’s utmost priority. Throughout the pandemic we have listened carefully to the latest scientific and medical advice when developing guidance.The department has recently reviewed and updated our guidance for childminders with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).From 17 March 2022, childminders can continue to childmind in their homes if someone who lives with them has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms.Childminders are advised to follow the steps below to reduce the risk of onward transmission:The person who has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms should avoid contact with the children being cared for in the childcare setting.Where possible, use separate toilet and handwashing facilities. If this is not possible, maintain extra cleaning and hygiene routines, particularly after the person has used the facilities.Notify parents, carers, and any assistants that someone has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, as soon as reasonably possible and maintain open communication with them throughout.Consider the need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 with mitigations, such as ventilation and extra cleaning and hygiene routines. They should be applied where it is practical and safe to do so. Additional information is available in the guidance published by the Cabinet Office, available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae?utm_source=17%20March%202022%20C19&utm_medium=Daily%20Email%20C19&utm_campaign=DfE%20C19.Comply with health and safety law by reviewing your risk assessment. The risk assessment must demonstrate that the provision of childcare in your setting is safe, and how any additional but proportionate measures will be put in place.Childminders can also consider using alternative places to operate such as other childminders’ houses, where possible.Childminders who are unable to work due to COVID-19 can claim other government support such as Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, and the new style Employment and Support Allowance (subject to eligibility).

Family Hubs

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the funding for new family hubs, announced in the spending review 2021, will support the local implementation of the Speech, Language and Communication Pathway, as set out in the Public Health England publication, Best start in speech, language and communication: Guidance to support local commissioners and service leads.

Will Quince: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has been working in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE) since 2018 to help to ensure speech, language and communication needs are identified and supported early on. The government published “Best start in speech, language and communication guidance for local areas” in 2020, aimed at supporting a whole systems approach to addressing speech, language and communication needs in the early years.At the Budget, the government announced a £300 million package to transform services for parents, carers, babies and children in half of council areas across England, including a network of family hubs.Family hubs have a clear role to play in supporting early language development, including through the creation of joined up local services such as those exemplified by the 2020 guidance. The government will work on this basis with the local authorities that are part of the programme once these are confirmed.

Pre-school Education: Communication Skills

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2022 to Question125448, if he will set out how the £153 Early Years Recovery Package for professional development for early years practitioners will fund programmes on the key area of speech and language development for the youngest children.

Will Quince: The £153 million ‘Early Years Recovery Package’ includes a significant investment of up to £37.5 million in continuous professional development for early years practitioners, through the national expansion of the early years Professional Development Programme. The programme has a particular focus on upskilling practitioners to support the early development of literacy and language and early maths, alongside personal, social, and emotional development. The programme will be delivered during 2022 and 2023.Strengthening understanding of speech and language development will also be covered in other elements of the programme. This includes delivery of online child development training, establishing a network of experts and mentors for settings in most need of support to improve their practice, driving evidence-based practice improvements through a new network of Stronger Practice Hubs, and increasing the number of qualified special educational needs coordinators in early years settings.During summer 2022, there will be a review of the Level 3 early years educator qualification, with a view to publishing a set of revised and updated criteria. This will ensure a higher-quality qualification that responds to the sector’s needs for higher-quality training for early years educators.

Childminding: Coronavirus

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to review covid-19 guidance to childminders following the changes to self-isolation guidance.

Will Quince: The department has recently reviewed and updated its guidance for childminders with the UK Health Security Agency. From Thursday 17 March 2022, childminders can continue to childmind in their homes if someone who lives with them has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms.Childminders are advised to follow the steps below to reduce the risk of onward transmission:The person who has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms should avoid contact with the children being cared for in the childminder’s premises.Where possible, use separate toilet and handwashing facilities. If this is not possible, maintain extra cleaning and hygiene routines, particularly after the person has used the facilities.Notify parents, carers, and any assistants that someone has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, as soon as reasonably possible and maintain open communication with them throughout.Consider the need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 with mitigations, such as ventilation and extra cleaning and hygiene routines. They should be applied where it is practical and safe to do so. Additional information on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available in the guidance published by the Cabinet Office.Comply with health and safety law by reviewing your risk assessment. The risk assessment must demonstrate that the provision of childcare in your setting is safe, and how any additional but proportionate measures will be put into place.Childminders can also consider using alternative places to operate such as other childminders’ houses, where possible.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children living in (a) relative poverty and (b) absolute poverty benefitted from their full entitlement under the Holiday Activities Fund.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to help ensure that children who are living in low income families engage with the Holiday Activities Fund to prevent household food hunger.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department made of the quality of the food provided as part of the Holiday Activity Fund to determine its nutritional standard.

Will Quince: The Holiday Activities and Food programme provides healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. This benefits their health, wellbeing, and learning, and helps to contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.Last summer, the department reached over 600,000 children and young people in England in total, including over 495,000 children eligible for free school meals. This means that hundreds of thousands of children from low-income families are benefitting from healthy food and extra-curricular activities, helping to level up children’s educational outcomes, provide better nutrition, and improve wellbeing, behaviour, and social skills.This year, the government is investing over £200 million in Holiday Activities and Food and will do so every year for the next three years. Through our programme support partner, Childcare Works, the department will continue to work with local authorities to ensure they are targeting those most in need of this provision. The department will also ensure that that the providers they work with deliver the programme expected, including making sure that every participating child receives a high-quality and nutritious meal.The government will also continue to support children and their families through the £1 billion Household Support Fund. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced this week, the government is continuing to provide targeted cost of living support for households most in need and is providing an additional £500 million to councils to help with the cost of household essentials.

UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the timescale for fully establishing the new Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce.

Alex Burghart: The UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce was announced as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh on Thursday 10 March 2022. It will run for approximately 18 months. It aims to develop and implement a future-focused skills strategy for shipbuilding to ensure that the UK’s shipbuilding industry has its workforce needs met today and in the future.Applications are now open for a chair and members for the taskforce. These will close on 3 April 2022 for the Chair, and 17 April for members.We anticipate that the chair and members will be announced in May, with the first meeting to take place in early summer 2022.

Primary Education: Assessments

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of potential merits of deferring (a) Key Stage 1 SATs, (b) Key Stage 2 SATs and (c) other statutory primary school assessments during the academic year 2021-22 to enable teachers to focus on supporting children to catch-up on learning after the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Robin Walker: The department is taking forward a full programme of primary assessments to take place in the 2021/22 academic year. The assessments will help parents, schools and the department to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pupils more clearly, and how this varies between different groups of pupils (for example, disadvantaged pupils compared with the wider population), schools and local authority areas. At a local level, the data will provide vital information to parents about their child’s attainment, support transition to secondary schools, and identify where additional support is best targeted to individuals. At a national level, the data will help inform policy decisions about support for schools, enable analysis to underpin education recovery initiatives and understand their effectiveness, and to track system progress as we emerge from the pandemic.Although schools should encourage pupils to work hard and achieve well, the department does not recommend that they devote excessive preparation time to assessment. The department trusts schools to administer assessments in the appropriate way.

Nature Conservation: GCSE

Sally-Ann Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of OCR's proposal for a GCSE in natural history.

Mr Robin Walker: It is vital that children are taught about environmental and sustainability issues, which is why these are covered in the science and geography curriculums.The department is exploring proposals for a new GCSE in natural history and has engaged with the examination board, OCR, on this matter. The department is carefully considering these proposals and will provide further details in due course.

Audiobooks

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the (a) contribution of audiobooks in engaging reluctant and underrepresented readers and (b) potential role of audiobooks in (i) improving reading behaviours and (ii) supporting the Government's levelling up agenda.

Mr Robin Walker: The department wants children to develop the habit of reading widely and often, both for pleasure and information. Research suggests that reading for pleasure is more important for children’s educational development than their parents’ level of education. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely. It emphasises the importance of pupils listening to, discussing, and reading a wide range of stories, poems, plays and information books for themselves as their fluency increases.The department has not undertaken research on the specific contribution or role of audiobooks. However, we welcome their use alongside other formats of books.On 28 March 2022, we published our Schools White Paper, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opportunity-for-all-strong-schools-with-great-teachers-for-your-child. This sets out our long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential, by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time. At its heart is the government’s levelling up mission that by 2030, 90% of children will leave primary school having achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. As part of this, the department is committed to continuing to raise literacy standards, ensuring all children can read fluently and with understanding.

Ministry of Justice

Courts

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to Answer of 24 March 2022 to Question 129213 on Courts, how many court rooms have been in use on average in each court in England and Wales in each month of last five years.

James Cartlidge: Over the time period provided, the number of court and tribunal rooms available for use has increased by 14%. We allocated over a quarter of a billion pounds to support court recovery in the last financial year, making court buildings safe, rolling out new technology for remote hearings, recruiting additional staff, and opening Nightingale courtrooms, of which 30 have been extended to March 2023. The total number of rooms recorded as available for use in all courthouses and tribunal hearing centres in England & Wales since September 2020 is provided below. The data is not available prior to September 2020. End of month snapshotNumber of courthouses & tribunal hearing centresNumber of rooms available 30 September 2020340211031 October 2020344216930 November 2020346217331 December 2020348218431 January 2021350220528 February 2021351220431 March 2021353221130 April 2021357221831 May 2021360223430 June 2021360223931 July 2021358231131 August 2021357230830 September 2021357233431 October 2021355233830 November 2021358237031 December 2021358238431 January 2022358239128 February 20223572403Because a number of locations contain multiple jurisdictions (i.e. include both courts and tribunals) and rooms which are used flexibly, it is not possible to provide data for courtrooms alone without artificially deflating the number of rooms actually available for court use. The data includes all permanent and Nightingale rooms but excludes the court and other hearing rooms within the Royal Courts of Justice Group.

Criminal Proceedings

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119604 on Criminal Proceedings, what the (a) mean and (b) median time was from offence to completion for cases in each (i) region of (A) England and (B) Wales and (ii) Local Justice Area in each of the last five years.

James Cartlidge: Further to the data provided as part of Question 119604, estimates of median and mean duration (in days) from receipt at Crown Court to completion by region is available at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2021 (opens in a new tab). The pandemic is the primary cause of the increased caseload in our courts. Prior to the pandemic, the outstanding caseload had reduced significantly, from over 55,000 in late 2014 to c.33,000 in late 2018. The Government is committed to supporting the recovery of the courts. We have extended 30 Nightingale courtrooms beyond the end of March 2022 and removed the limit on the number of days the Crown Court can sit in the 2021/22 financial year. To secure enough capacity to sit at the required levels in 2022/23 and beyond we are expanding our plans for judicial recruitment. To provide additional capacity in the Crown Courts we are extending magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months’ imprisonment for a single Triable Either Way offence to allow more cases to be heard in the magistrates’ court and help to drive down the backlog of cases over the coming years. These measures are already working, and as a result we expect to get through 20% more Crown Court cases this financial year than we did pre-Covid.

Department for International Trade

Trade: Biodiversity

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2022 to Question 138016 on Trade: Biodiversity, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the feasibility of assessing net gain in trade; what plans her Department has with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to assess the (a) qualitative and (b) quantitative impacts of new free trade agreements on the environment; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: Ministers at the Department for International Trade regularly discuss matters relating to trade and environment with counterparts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The two departments work together to provide qualitative and quantitative assessments of the environmental impacts of new free trade agreements. This includes several aspects of the environment, including emissions, air quality, water quality, and biodiversity.

Iron and Steel: Russia

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the steel industry of removing Russia’s entitlement to Most Favoured Nation tariff.

Penny Mordaunt: On 25 March, the government implemented increased tariff duties on a number of goods originating in Russia and Belarus. These measures are a necessary response to Putin’s continued assault on Ukraine. Careful analysis was conducted across government to identify relevant products. The government looked at relevant considerations, including balancing the impacts on the UK economy against wider objectives. UK steel producers which sourced materials from Russia are changing to alternative sources and are doing all they can to mitigate supply chain disruption. Producers are showing great resilience in these challenging circumstances. We are continuing to work with companies to monitor impacts.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Developing Countries: Food

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the amount of funding required to fulfil the UN pledge to end hunger by 2030.

Amanda Milling: Conflict, climate change and Covid-19 have caused food insecurity and acute hunger to reach record levels. Almost 1 billion people in 92 countries already did not have enough food to eat before Russia started its war of aggression against Ukraine, and 55 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, were estimated to be in acute hunger crisis, emergency or famine conditions, with the likelihood for the situation to deteriorate further.The amount of funding needed to achieve the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal has been assessed in recent years by the relevant institutions, with significant variations. These figures are now likely to increase as a result of Russia's barbaric attack against Ukraine.The UK is monitoring the situation closely and has encouraged key partners to focus on preventing a global food price crisis immediately. We anticipate that this will be through a combination of policy and programme responses, both humanitarian and longer-term assistance. We are also discussing through the relevant G7 fora and are encouraging the relevant multilateral institutions to prioritise rapid information, analysis, policy options and prevention and mitigation response.

Palestinians: Discrimination

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to Israel regarding the urgent need to end discrimination faced by Palestinians, including land seizures, home demolitions, and forced evictions.

Amanda Milling: In all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The UK raises these issues with the Government of Israel, most recently with Israel's Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Justice. I met the Israeli Ambassador Hotovely on 10 March and underlined the need to find a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Germany: Nuclear Power

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her German counterpart on that country's recent review of its nuclear power provisions.

James Cleverly: The Foreign Secretary speaks to the German Federal Foreign Minister regularly. During these conversations they discuss a range of shared priorities including our shared goal to reduce energy dependency on Russia. The Foreign Secretary has had no specific discussions with the German Federal Foreign Minister on Germany's recent review of its nuclear power provisions.

Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that any funds raised for Ukraine through the UN system are disbursed to local civil society organisations leading the response on the ground.

James Cleverly: The UK's humanitarian response is focused on early funding to the UN and partner humanitarian organisations in Ukraine, as well as a commitment to fund NGOs through UK Aid Match funding to the DEC Appeal. We expect that a significant proportion of UK humanitarian funding to UN agencies operating in Ukraine will be disbursed to Ukrainian NGOs as the UN often partner with local NGOs to help deliver humanitarian assistance. The UN and local NGOs also often work together through UN led humanitarian co-ordination structures in country. For example, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Ukraine is increasing their efforts to reach Ukrainian NGOs and encourage them to apply to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund either individually or through consortium.

Ukraine: Refugees

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to assist people in central Ukraine, who are not close to a border, to reach safety in neighbouring countries.

James Cleverly: Russian aggression is having a massive human cost, causing death, displacement and destruction of vital civilian infrastructure. As of 30 March, over 4 million people are known to have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries, according to UNHCR [link: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine]. We must ensure the humanitarian needs of displaced people are met, both within and beyond Ukraine's borders. The UK has committed £394 UK aid to Ukraine and the region during the current crisis, including £220 million of humanitarian assistance and we have deployed humanitarian experts to the region to support those fleeing the violence.Humanitarian access is a critical part of upholding International Humanitarian Law. Parties to conflict must allow humanitarian supplies in, and facilitate movement of civilians out of cities where fighting is taking place. We are encouraging international partners to speak as one demanding that all parties guarantee full humanitarian access and respect international humanitarian law.

Ukraine: Disabled

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the rights of disabled people in Ukraine.

James Cleverly: There are 2.7 million people in Ukraine with disabilities that are at high risk of harm and abandonment. Many are trapped, unable to evacuate to safer areas and experiencing severe food and medication shortages.The UK is committed to providing humanitarian aid on the basis of need alone, without discrimination on any grounds. In Ukraine, the UK seeks to drive forward a fully inclusive international humanitarian response that addresses the life-saving and urgent needs of women, children, people with disabilities and excluded groups affected by the crisis, and ensuring compliance with the IASC guidelines on disability and gender-based violence.UK funding for Ukraine is largely channelled via international humanitarian organisations to enable effective, inclusive humanitarian assistance to reach those who need it most, including people with disabilities, and to tailor and target the most appropriate support.

Ukraine: Refugees

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle racism and discrimination against those fleeing war at the Ukraine borders.

James Cleverly: The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or race. Combating violence and discrimination against minorities forms an important part of our wider international human rights work.

Ukraine: Embassies

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times her Department has been contacted by (a) former or (b) present Ukrainian staff members of the British Embassy in Kyiv, to seek her support leaving Ukraine.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to secure refuge for (a) former or (b) present Ukrainian staff members of the British embassy in Kyiv.

James Cleverly: We are supporting our Ukrainian staff who have represented the UK in extremely challenging circumstances. All Ukrainian staff currently employed directly by the British Government in Kyiv, and their family members, are eligible to come to the UK and will be supported on arrival. Our former staff in Ukraine are eligible to come to the UK if they qualify under one of the Home Office schemes.

Ukraine: Refugees

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prioritise the safety and protection of institutionalised children in Ukraine; and what protocols are in place for the safe evacuation of children from institutions, including those with disabilities.

James Cleverly: The safety of the 100,000 children confined to nearly 700 institutions across Ukraine, is of concern. Half of these children are estimated to have disabilities. Adults and children in institutions are experiencing care, food, water, essential medication and fuel shortages, and institutions are reported to have been direct targets of Russian attacks.The UK will continue to help to protect people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. The UK has committed £220 million of humanitarian assistance to save lives and protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine, including children, and help those who have been forced to seek safety in neighbouring countries.

Morocco: Vaccination

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the Kingdom of Morocco in developing a vaccine manufacturing facility.

James Cleverly: Through the (£100 million ODA-funded) continental Manufacturing Africa programme, the FCDO provided technical support to develop business cases for Morocco's vaccine production initiative that not only serves Morocco (reportedly 3 million doses thus far) but plans to become a manufacturing hub for Africa. The initiative was publicly launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in the Summer of 2021. Further support is channelled through the FCDO's contribution to Africa CDC's new "Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing" initiative. We are exploring work to strengthen Morocco's National Regulatory Authorities, including by mobilising the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for peer learning. The Government has brokered conversations with UK and international pharmaceutical companies, which Moroccan counterparts are following up with. Encouraged by support to date, Morocco has invited the UK to formally set up a bilateral vaccine manufacturing taskforce to explore development and commercial investment and partnership opportunities further.

Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to prioritise (a) children and (b) people most at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse in its response to the Ukraine crisis.

James Cleverly: The UK has now committed £395 million in aid to the current crisis including £220 million of humanitarian assistance which will be used to save lives and protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. It will also be used to support refugees, including children, fleeing Ukraine, through the provision of logistics, advice and analysis of needs on the ground. £25 million has been given to the Disasters Emergency Committee, the largest UK aid match ever, which will help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation by providing access to basic necessities and medical supplies. To date, we have contributed £3.5 million to provide medical supplies to Ukraine. Nine flights with supplies have been sent containing over 700,000 UK medical items. UK Government humanitarian experts have also deployed to the region to support those fleeing the violence.

Al-mustafa International University: Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of potential links between Al-Mustafa University and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

James Cleverly: We are aware that Al-Mustafa University has been sanctioned by the US as a terrorist entity due to its recruitment of students for the IRGC's Quds Force. This is in addition to a robust set of US, UK and international sanctions that remain in place to address the IRGC's destabilising regional activities.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many requests have been received by his Department from bordering countries to Ukraine to help with the humanitarian situation; and how many of the 1000 troops who are on readiness have been deployed to help with humanitarian assistance, by location.

James Heappey: The Foreign,Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) leads on a humanitarian response. No formal requests for humanitarian assistance have been received to date but the humanitarian situation remains fluid and could change quickly.207 troops, and approximately 40 vehicles, are currently deployed to Poland as the spearhead element of the Humanitarian Assistance Task Force (HATF). Deployed force levels remain under constant review, in consultation with deployed Home Office and FCDO staff.Together with the approximately 700 HATF personnel held at readiness in the UK, and 100 aligned to other operations in Poland, the HATF provides a prompt and scalable response to any emergent humanitarian tasking.The UK has stepped up its support to the people of Ukraine again with the announcement of an extra £100 million worth of further humanitarian aid to the country. This brings the UK total offer of support to the Ukraine crisis to around £400 million.

Navy: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to reduce the number of staff at Naval Headquarters.

James Heappey: The Royal Navy has been transforming its Headquarters, business and workforce to adapt to meet current and future demands. This has included significant workforce reductions within Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth where military workforce requirement has been redistributed to frontline-facing roles.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Dr Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK can deliver blood products to the Ukrainian defence forces through the channels being used to supply military equipment.

James Heappey: The Ministry of Defence has not received requests from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for increased supplies of blood products. The UK will continue to review any potential requests from the AFU and will work with Allies and partners to best ensure it is medically equipped.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Dr Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Ukrainian defence forces currently need increased supplies of blood products; and what assessment he has made of potential future Ukrainian defence forces requirements for those products.

James Heappey: The Ministry of Defence has not received requests from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for increased supplies of blood products. The UK will continue to review any potential requests from the AFU and will work with Allies and partners to best ensure it is medically equipped.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Dr Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the United Kingdom is providing the Ukrainian defence forces with blood products.

James Heappey: We are not providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with blood products, nor have we received such requests.

NATO: Armed Forces

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of British troops deployed as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence.

James Heappey: In order to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence posture, increase interoperability with our Allies, and reinforce our bilateral relationships, the UK has played a leading role in NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) since its inception, acting as framework nation in Estonia, and contributing to the US-led deployment in Poland. As part of the UK's multi-domain and coordinated response to Russia's unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, the Prime Minister announced last month that, alongside other deployments in support of Allies, the UK would temporarily double its presence in Estonia to brigade strength. The Ministry of Defence keeps the UK's defence posture under constant review.

RAF Fylingdales

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many US personnel are stationed at RAF Fylingdales.

James Heappey: There are currently approximately 320 personnel based at RAF Fylingdales (Service personnel, Ministry of Defence Police, and civilian staff), with fewer than 10 of those being US personnel.

Ukraine: Armed Forces

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2022 to Question 143803 on Ukraine: Armed Forces, what assessment he has made of (a) size and (b) location of the new new territorial defence units reported to have been set up or inspired by the Azov battalion and situated beyond Mariupol.

James Heappey: The size of Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces is estimated to be 10,000 military professionals supplemented by 130,000 reservists. Since Russia's invasion, Ukraine has sought to expand these forces to include 1.5 - 2 million citizens.The Territorial Defence Forces are distributed around each of Ukraine's regions and in Kyiv. Some units may have worked with the Azov Battalion in and around the Mariupol region to recruit and train volunteers.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of potential steps that could be undertaken to support and facilitate (a) the transfer of airframes that are immediately usable by the Ukrainian Airforce from NATO allies and (b) the provision of drones for the Ukrainian military.

James Heappey: The UK is committed to supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's ongoing aggression. Defence continues to pursue options to meet the requirements of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including by actively convening our global partners. Decisions on what defensive air support to provide rests with individual governments.We welcome the donations made by allies to date and the UK will host the second International Defence Donor Conference this week to encourage the international community to provide further aid to Ukraine.

Falkland Islands: Armed Forces and Warships

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) British personnel and (b) Royal Navy ships have been stationed in the Falkland Islands in each year since 2010.

James Heappey: There are currently ~1,000 British Service personnel serving in the Falkland Islands. This has been broadly consistent since 2010. In each year since 2010 the Royal Navy has had one vessel permanently stationed in the Falkland Islands as the Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel. These vessels are listed below, including years when two vessels shared the task as one had a maintenance period away from the islands: 2010: 1 (HMS CLYDE)2011: 1 (HMS CLYDE)2012: 1 (HMS CLYDE)2013: 1 (HMS CLYDE)2014: 1 (HMS CLYDE)2015: 1 (HMS CLYDE)2016: 2 (HMS CLYDE / HMS ENTERPRISE)2017: 2 (HMS ENTERPRISE / HMS CLYDE)2018: 1 (HMS CLYDE)2019: 2 (HMS CLYDE / HMS SCOTT)2020: 2 (HMS SCOTT / HMS FORTH)2021: 1 (HMS FORTH)2022: 1 (HMS FORTH)

Falkland Islands: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British personnel are currently stationed in the Falkland Islands.

James Heappey: There are ~1,000 British Service Personnel in the Falkland Islands.

Department for Work and Pensions

Attendance Allowance: Medical Examinations

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the total cost of assessments for attendance allowance in each of the last five years.

Guy Opperman: The latest data available for the last five years on the total cost of assessments for Attendance Allowance is provided below: 15/16 £32.38m16/17 £27.95m17/18 £24.35m18/19 £19.68m19/20 £21.94m This data is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standards. It should therefore be treated with caution.

Flexible Support Fund: Lone Parents

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Flexible Support Fund payments are offered to single parents for the purposes of enabling them to meet the new job-seeking requirements in the Way to Work campaign.

Mims Davies: Way to Work is a campaign to move job-ready claimants into work faster and fill vacancies more quickly. We are supporting jobseekers by providing new claimants with more time with their Work Coaches. Individual circumstances, such as childcare arrangements, are always taken into account and agreed with the claimants as part of the Claimant Commitment meeting. At that stage, Work Coaches will agree with the claimant what they are able to do with respect to finding and having a job as well as discussing eligibility for support through the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) and how this might suit their circumstances. The FSF is a non-recoverable discretionary fund that Jobcentre staff can use to purchase goods or services to supplement mainstream services and tailor support to the needs of individuals and the local area. Work Coaches have flexibility and discretion to make awards that will enhance the employment prospects of eligible claimants with whom they are engaged. A key element of Flexible Support Fund is giving Work Coaches a means by which they can support claimants move into work, such as paying for upfront childcare costs, travel costs to interviews and for clothing, tools and equipment needed to start work. No changes to the FSF or the policy around have been made as a result of the Way to Work Campaign.

Flexible Support Fund: Parents

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Work Coaches are routinely offering Flexible Support Fund payments to help parents who may face challenges in meeting all or part of the upfront costs of their childcare.

Mims Davies: The Department is fully committed to supporting parents moving into work. In Universal Credit, childcare costs can be claimed up to a month before starting a job. Eligible Universal Credit claimants can claim back up to 85 per cent of eligible childcare costs each month, up to the maximum amount of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children, regardless of the number of hours they work. In cases where people need to pay for childcare upfront, prior to starting work, Work Coaches may be able to use the Flexible Support Fund for eligible claimants to meet these costs until their first wage is received. Budgeting advances are also available to eligible claimants who require help with upfront costs, for example when altering hours worked or changing childcare providers.

National Insurance Credits: Low Pay

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to take steps to ensure that workers earning less than £12,570 per year still obtain national insurance credits to obtain the state pension.

Guy Opperman: From July 2022, employees will pay no National Insurance on earnings below the Primary Threshold of £12,570 per year (£242 per week). We have ensured that people with earnings below the Primary Threshold continue to have their entitlement to State Pension protected. Although the Primary Threshold, when people start making National Insurance Contributions, has increased from £190 to £242 per week, the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) remains at £120 per week. The LEL is the level of earnings above which people are treated as having paid National Insurance, even though they have not paid Contributions. People with earnings from a single employer above the LEL, receive a Qualifying Year of National Insurance, which counts towards their State Pension eligibility. In addition, there is a wide range of National Insurance credits available, ensuring people can achieve the best possible State Pension outcome when they reach State Pension age.

Employment and Training: Refugees

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to ensure that Ukrainian refugees can (a) use their existing skills to work and (b) undertake further skills training if needed to obtain available work.

David Rutley: Under the Ukraine Family Scheme and ‘Homes for Ukraine’ schemes Ukrainian evacuees will have the right to work here from day one, as well as immediate access to our jobcentres, work coaches and other support, including our £30 billion Plan for Jobs, if they need it. This can include extra support available through DWP’s Flexible Support Fund, which can be used for skills training. Translation services are available to help new arrivals with phone applications, with Work Coaches in DWP Jobcentres on hand to support people making claims online. DWP staff are also delivering additional face-to-face assistance to those who need it – including tailored support to find work and advice on benefit eligibility – and will continue to do so. DWP’s National Employer Partnerships Team (NEPT) has received a number of approaches from employers about opportunities for Ukrainian evacuees.. All have been contacted and advised that we will be in touch to take details of their opportunities to share with the wider DWP.

Cost of Living: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help support people in Slough constituency to meet the increased costs of living.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the increases in cost of living on people in receipt of benefits living in Slough constituency.

David Rutley: No such assessment has been made. This government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting those on low incomes. We understand the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. These are global challenges, but the Government has taken action worth over £22 billion in 2022-23 to help. This includes the £9.1 billion energy bill rebate package, worth up to £350 each for around 28 million households. Households will receive a £200 reduction in energy bills this autumn repayable automatically over the next five years. Households in Council Tax Bands A-D in England will also receive a £150 non-repayable Council Tax rebate; and local authorities are receiving extra funding of £144m to help those who are in need but not eligible for the rebate. Alongside this, for working Universal Credit claimants, we have cut the taper rate and increased the work allowances which is putting on average an extra £1,000 a year into the pockets of two million low-income families. From July 2022 the National Insurance starting thresholds will rise to £12,570 meaning that 30 million working people across the country will keep more of what they earn before paying tax – a saving of over £330 a year for a typical employee. From April, the Government is also providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of household essentials, such as utilities, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing the total funding for this support to £1 billion. In England, £421 million will be provided to build on the existing Household Support Fund, whilst the devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.

Household Support Fund

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in supporting low income families; and if she will make a statement.

David Rutley: The Department for Work and Pensions requires Local Authorities provide management information (MI) returns detailing their spend and volume of Household Support Fund awards made in relation to food, energy and water bills, essentials linked to energy and water bills, wider essentials, and housing costs. MI returns also detail grant spend and the volume of awards made in relation to families with and without children. This information, for the scheme running 6 October 2021- 31 March 2022, will be published in the coming months.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fishing Gear: Marine Environment

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing incentives to support new and alternative fishing gears, to reduce the damage to blue carbon sediments and habitats.

Victoria Prentis: Marine sediments are important areas of carbon storage. Trawling can cause carbon dioxide to be released from sediments, but the processes are complex and the overall impact of trawling on carbon dioxide release remains uncertain. We continue to build the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in the UK, including marine sediments. We are working with the fishing sector and other stakeholders to consider how best to reduce the potential impact of fishing gears on the seabed, including looking at innovation in fish gears and methods. We are working with Fisheries Funding Teams to see how we can best use the UK Seafood Fund to help reduce the environmental effects of bottom trawling through support for evidence, innovation and adaption.

Animal and Plant Health Agency

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Animal and Plant Health Agency plans to take in response to animals landed at ports which are not designated Border Control Posts, once Border Control Posts come into operation in July 2022.

Jo Churchill: From July 2022 Live animals imported from the EU into GB can continue to enter at any point of entry as they do today. Where live animals enter a point of entry with an appropriately designated Border Control Post with available facilities for that consignment, the consignment may be selected for inspection at the border. Where there aren’t facilities available at a border control post for that consignment, checks will continue to take place at destination as they do now.

Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for publishing the Evidence Reports and Supplementary Evidence for each target proposal referred to in the Consultation on Environmental Targets, published on 16 March 2022.

Rebecca Pow: The evidence reports and impact assessments to accompany the consultation are large and complex. They are undergoing final assurance and will be published shortly.

Elephants: Animal Welfare

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to bring forward its proposed Animals Abroad Bill; and whether that proposed legislation will include a ban on the advertising and offering for sale of attractions, activities or experiences such as low welfare elephant venues.

Jo Churchill: As set out in the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are committed to promoting high animal welfare standards both at home and abroad. This includes delivering a range of measures to promote the welfare of animals beyond UK borders, setting a global example for high welfare and conservation standards. We are moving forward with our plans to deliver one of the toughest bans in the world on the import of hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and threatened species. We are firmly committed to the ban, and this will be brought forward as soon as Parliamentary time allows. We are also looking at further measures to protect animals abroad, including banning the import and export of detached fins, and taking action against low welfare animal experiences.

Food: Standards

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce a set of core environmental standards that apply equally to food produced in the UK and imports from overseas to ensure that (a) the UK is sourcing from sustainable supply chains and (b) new trade deals do not lead to an offshoring of the UK's environmental footprint.

Victoria Prentis: The Government is committed to a bold and ambitious approach to agricultural trade, that protects and advances the interests of farmers, food producers and consumers. Environmental considerations continue to be central to this approach. This is in line with our 2019 manifesto commitment to ensure that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. As set out in our response to the final Trade and Agriculture Commission Report (October 2021), the UK has a wide-ranging programme of work underway to raise global ambition for sustainable agriculture. This includes exploring whether a global standards framework could help to meet the UK’s goals.

Home Office

Visas: Ukraine

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ease the visa application and subsequent refugee paperwork for Ukrainians who do not speak English to help them navigate the UK system at the Ukraine border.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office is continually making efforts to simplify the application process for Ukrainian refugees, and keeps this under regular review.Furthermore. the webpage for the Ukrainian Family scheme (which can be found here: Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) is available in English, Russian and Ukrainian so that applicants can better navigate the form.

Asylum: Eritrea and Sudan

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of provisions in the Nationality and Borders Bill on family reunion for asylum seekers from (a) Eritrea and (b) Sudan.

Tom Pursglove: Family reunion for Group 2 refugees of any nationality will be permitted where a refusal would be a breach of our international obligations under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Migrant Workers: Shipping

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the immigration status of those seafarers working on UK-international routes who are paid below the National Minimum Wage.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of seafarers working on UK-international routes who have entered the UK in the most recent period for which that information is available.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the entitlement of foreign seafarers to work on UK-international routes that have no visa eligibility to enter the UK.

Tom Pursglove: It is the Government’s policy that all migrants coming to work in UK territorial waters (i.e., 12 nautical miles), or on the UK landmass, need permission to work unless exemptions apply. Conversely, if they are working outside of UK territorial waters then permission to work is not required.Seafarers who earn a living by working on a ship such as seamen or crew members do not need permission to work if they are in transit (under contract) to join a ship or are in transit as part of a crew, subject to entry requirements. Entry requirements may include a transit visa or an International Labour Organisation compliant seafarer identity document.A seafarer who can be regarded as “ordinarily working” in the UK is entitled to receive the UK national minimum wage. More information can be found at: Minimum wage: seafarers and other people working at sea - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).We do not collect the data on seafarers entering the UK without a work visa. This cohort should be entering the UK for short periods of time and leaving by air or ship.

Refugees: Ukraine

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to put in place extra levels of protection for unaccompanied children fleeing Ukraine to the UK.

Kevin Foster: We recognise the deeply troubling circumstances faced by all Ukrainians who are caught up in this conflict, including unaccompanied minors, and the role many countries will need to play to safeguard those children.Safeguarding and protection of these vulnerable children is paramount. We have therefore held a number of discussions with leading international organisations who are working to ensure appropriate systems are put in place to process and safeguard unaccompanied minors who are fleeing Ukraine.The Ukraine Family Scheme provides an immediate pathway for those Ukrainians, including unaccompanied minors, with family already settled in the UK to come to our country. The relevant safeguarding checks will be performed as part of the application process. It is designed to allow as many people as possible to come to Britain and gives them immediate access to the support they need.The routes and visa changes which we have announced so far follow extensive engagement with the Ukrainian Government to ensure they respond directly to their needs and asks. We will continue to work closely with them going forward.We are committed to working with local government to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place, particularly for any unaccompanied minors who may arrive and for whom there is no option of being reunited with extended family. The UK already has well established policies in this area for unaccompanied children.

Refugees: Ukraine

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the Ukrainian refugee crisis on her Department’s ability to process ordinary immigration applications in a timely manner.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office is currently prioritising applications made under its Ukraine Schemes, in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine. As a result, customers with standard applications in study, work, and family routes may experience some delays in the processing of their application.We have also suspended a number of Paid for Priority and Super Priority services so staff working on these could be reallocated to other work, including our Ukraine Schemes.We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Refugees: Ukraine

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department is making on the implementation of the humanitarian community sponsorship route for Ukrainians with no ties to the UK.

Kevin Foster: The scheme was launched on 14th March and applications able to made since Friday 18th March.

Visas: Ukraine

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether undocumented Ukrainian nationals will be able to make an online application to the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Kevin Foster: If an applicant has fled Ukraine and does not have any passport or travel document to prove their nationality, they can still apply under the Ukraine Family Scheme.Applicants should provide any other documentation that may help to evidence their identity and nationality. They will also need to visit a Visa Application Centre so biometrics can be taken.

Visas: Ukraine

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that visa applications submitted under the Ukrainian Family Scheme are processed at the earliest opportunity.

Kevin Foster: Applications from Ukraine nationals are being prioritised by UKVI. We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system.We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet caseworking demand of the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

Visas: Ukraine

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what practical support her Department plans to provide to Ukrainian refugees who are required to make an online application to come to the UK in the event that they do not have access to (a) a smartphone, (b) a computer and (c) internet signal; what languages the online application process will be available in; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: If someone is unable to make an online application to come to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme, their sponsor can submit the application on their behalf through the GOV.UK webpage. If an applicant requires further support uploading their documents as part of the application process, they can book an appointment at a Visa Application Centre to have their documents scanned and linked to their application.The online application process for the Ukraine Family Scheme is currently only available in English, but guidance in Ukrainian is being made available.Further information on the Ukraine Family Scheme can be found on the GOV.UK webpage: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-ukraine-family-scheme-visa

Visas: Russia

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many child student visa applications has her department received from Russian nationals since 1st February 2022.

Kevin Foster: The information requested is routinely published as part of UKVI Transparency data.The most recent published data for child student visa applications can be found here: Managed migration datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Information on how to use the tables in Managed migration datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.

Visas: France

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional staff with relevant expertise and experience have been allocated to the UK's visa application centres in France since 20 February 2022.

Kevin Foster: We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system. We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine.The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand, where we can offer over 13,000 appointments to visa applicants, and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.

Visas: Romania

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional staff with relevant expertise and experience have been allocated to the UK's visa application centre in Romania since 20 February 2022.

Kevin Foster: We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system. We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine.The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand, where we can offer over 13,000 appointments to visa applicants, and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.

Refugees: Yazidis

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Yazidi refugees have been resettled in the UK since 2014; what resettlement schemes were used for those people; and how many successful Yazidi applicants were made under each resettlement scheme.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office provides resettlement solely on the basis of needs, identified by UNHCR. Individuals ethnic and religious background is not part of this consideration.We therefore do not publish a religious or ethnic breakdown of those who have been resettled.

Visas: Ukraine

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas her Department has granted to Ukrainians as part of the Ukraine Family Scheme on each day since 28 February 2022.

Kevin Foster: Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Family Scheme: application data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Visas: Ukraine

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral contribution of 7 March 2022, Official Report, Vol 710, column 28, where that visa application centre is located; whether transport is being provided to Ukrainians for the purposes of getting to that visa application centre; and how many visas have been issued by that centre as of 8 March 2022.

Kevin Foster: To support vulnerable individuals in Northern France who are eligible for the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Home Office has set up a new temporary visa application centre (VAC) in Arras, replacing the interim site in Lille. This VAC is only for direct referrals from Border Force. Dedicated transport from Calais to Arras has been provided.Information on the number of issued applications is not broken down by individual centres within published statistics.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Domestic Abuse

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance he has produced on prioritising housing need and safe placement of (a) people who have experienced domestic violence and (b) other vulnerable people.

Stuart Andrew: In April 2021 the Domestic Abuse Act received Royal Assent. The Act extended priority need for homelessness assistance to eligible persons who are homeless as a result of being a victim of domestic abuse. A person may also be in priority need for homelessness assistance if they are vulnerable as a result of old age or mental illness for example. Guidance on how local authorities should exercise their homelessness functions is set out in the Homelessness Code of GuidanceIn January 2022 we updated our statutory guidance for local authorities to improve access to social housing for victims of domestic abuse. The guidance makes clear that local authorities are expected not to apply residency tests for those victims who have fled to another district; sets out how they can give appropriate priority to victims; and encourages them to use their existing powers to support victims to remain safely in their homes if they choose to do so.Furthermore, statutory allocations guidance for local authorities outlines how local authorities have the power to frame their allocation scheme to give additional priority to vulnerable people who fall within the statutory priority categories and have urgent housing needs.In June 2020 we also published new statutory guidance for local authorities to improve access to social housing for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.

Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting minimum standards for local authorities to meet local housing need.

Stuart Andrew: The standard method for assessing local housing need is used by councils as a guide when they develop their local plans. It is an assessment of the minimum number of homes needed in an area and comprises a baseline of 2014-based household projections, informed by population projections, which are then adjusted to take account of affordability and capped to make the increase realistic for areas. In December 2020 following a review, a 35% uplift for the 20 most populated urban areas was added to ensure that the standard method was consistent with the aim to deliver 300,000 homes a year.Councils decide their own housing requirement once they have considered their ability to meet their own needs in their area. This includes taking local circumstances and constraints into account and working with neighbouring authorities if it would be more appropriate for needs to be met elsewhere. This recognises that not everywhere will be able to meet their housing need in full.The Secretary of State appoints an independent person to carry out plan examinations. The Planning Inspectorate plays an important role in examining plans impartially and publicly to ensure that they are legally compliant and sound. As set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, for a plan to be considered sound it should be positively prepared, effective, consistent with national policy and based on proportionate evidence.

Public Houses: Planning Permission

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will (a) encourage the Planning Inspectorate to review the adequacy of local authorities enforcement powers to ensure appropriate remedy in cases where plans submitted by pub chains were inaccurate, (b) take steps to strengthen accountability of (i) pub chains and (ii) their agents submitting planning applications and (c) make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the planning application submitted by agents on behalf of Fullers of London for enlargement of the garden of the Castle pub in Harrow on the Hill; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: While I appreciate the members concerns, and those raised, due to my role within the planning system I cannot comment on the specifics of individual cases.What I can say is that if a development differs from that shown on the plans approved, and no consent has been given for this change, it may be subject to enforcement action if the local planning authority considers such action to be in the public interest.The Government has given local authorities a wide range of planning enforcement powers with strong penalties for non-compliance, and that local authorities are best placed to decide what, if any, action to take depending on the particular circumstance of each case

Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether Ukrainian nationals who have recently arrived in Northern Ireland via the Republic of Ireland, either knowingly or unknowingly, are eligible for the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Eddie Hughes: Ukrainian nationals who are already in the UK are not currently eligible for this scheme. I refer the Hon. Member to the FAQs published online at: www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Hitchin and Harpenden

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many offers of help under the Homes for Ukraine scheme have been received from households in Hitchin and Harpenden constituency as of 28 March 2022.

Eddie Hughes: I refer my Hon Friend to the data published at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data . Further data will be published in due course.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the likely timescale between a permit to travel being issued and councils receiving the £10,500 per guest funding under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what data on guests arriving under the Homes for Ukraine scheme his Department plans to share with councils; at what point of the application process will that data be shared; and what the process is for sharing that data.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans the Government has to make language support available to Ukrainian refugees arriving under the (a) Homes for Ukraine scheme and (b) Ukraine Family scheme.

Eddie Hughes: I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 145857 on 28 March 2022 and Question UIN 144955 on 29 March 2022, which include links to published guidance, including Guidance for local authorities, and information at Gov.uk. The Ukraine Family Scheme is run by the Home Office.

Treasury

Business: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support the Government is providing to Northern Ireland businesses to help them manage increased (a) fuel prices and (b) costs arising from the UK leaving the EU.

Helen Whately: Families and businesses in Northern Ireland, as in the rest of the UK, will benefit from the 12-month cut in fuel duty announced at Spring Statement. The main rates of petrol and diesel will be cut by 5 pence per litre. This is only the second time in 20 years that the main rates of petrol and diesel have been cut, and overall it represents the largest cash-terms cut that has ever been applied to all fuel duty rates at once. In respect of the UK having left the EU, the UK continues to seize new opportunities as we strike trade deals with the world’s fastest growing markets. This includes the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which will help ensure businesses continue to get the support they need to trade effectively with the EU. The Government’s current priority is to deal with the issues in the Northern Ireland Protocol and we are committed to continuing intensive talks with the EU to resolve these. The Government also continues to support businesses in Northern Ireland. This includes £350 million spent on the Trader Support Service (TSS), which is a free service that has been set up to support businesses to adapt to changes required under the Protocol by providing education and facilitating the completion of customs and safety and security declarations. Additionally, in December 2020, the government announced the £400 million New Deal for Northern Ireland. This financial package is aimed at supporting businesses to operate after the Transition Period, whilst also ensuring that Northern Ireland is ready to seize the trade and investment opportunities ahead.

Company Accounts: Databases

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a unified system for accounts data between HMRC and Companies House.

Lucy Frazer: HMRC are already joined up with Companies House in several areas relating to accounts data, including company registrations, small company accounts filings, and the automatic ingestion of bulk accounts data.“File once with Government” proposal has been publicly consulted upon, with responses reported in the recently issued BEIS White Paper on “Corporate Transparency and Register Reform”, issued on 28 February 2022. The White Paper can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/corporate-transparency-and-register-reform . The “File once with Government” concept would enable companies to file their financial information with the Government once, instead of filing elements of information separately with each department that requires it. The concept generated significant public support. The White Paper noted the potential benefits of unified data and systems, including increased efficiency and effectiveness of Government agencies in their ability to regulate, monitor and prevent fraudulent activity, making more effective use of public money.Some of the other proposals included in the White Paper, such as fully iXBRL-tagged digital accounts, would help to lay the foundations for “Filing once with Government”. However, technological and legislative challenges still remain.Whilst there are no firm plans at this time, the Government is currently exploring the “File once with Government” proposals, and will continue to explore this within the current “Corporate Transparency and Register Reform” project.

Audiobooks: VAT

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to research from the National Literacy Trust and Audible on the impact on the mental health of adults of listening to audiobooks, if he will make it his policy to remove VAT on audiobooks to bring tax policy in line with the zero VAT on physical and ebooks.

Lucy Frazer: The extension of the zero rate of VAT to e-publications was introduced to provide consistency of approach between certain physical and digital publications, to support reading and literacy in all its forms. Audiobooks are already taxed consistently at the standard rate in both physical and digital formats. In UK law, a book is deemed to be something that is read or looked at; a definition that does not include audio content in either digital or physical form. The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT, but there are no current plans to extend the VAT zero rate to audiobooks.

Employees' Contributions: Tax Thresholds

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed lifting of the National Insurance Contribution threshold on the finances of the highest earners.

Lucy Frazer: The government does not regularly publish the impact of policy changes on different earnings levels. However, the overall impact of the National Insurance threshold increase can be found in the referenced Tax Information Impact Note [[1]]. As an illustration, the NIC threshold would have been £823 per month in 2022-2023. From July, it will be raised to £1,048 per month. Considering this increase in threshold of £225, and the 13.25% primary rate for National insurance, all employees earning over the new Primary Threshold would gain around £30 per month. This group includes high earning employees. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-insurance-primary-threshold-and-the-lower-profits-limit-increase-and-associated-class-2-changes-in-2022-to-2023-tax-year/national-insurance-increase-to-primary-threshold-and-the-lower-profits-limit-and-reduction-in-class-2-liability-of-those-earning-between-the-small-pr

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to increase the higher income tax threshold at the same time as a potential reduction in income tax in 2024.

Lucy Frazer: The cut to the basic rate of income tax to 19% from 2024, the first basic rate cut in 16 years, will benefit all income tax payers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including higher rate taxpayers.The higher rate threshold is high enough to protect over 80 per cent of taxpayers from paying the higher rate of income tax and it is right that those with the most contribute the most.The government has also announced it will align the NICs Primary Threshold and Lower Profits Limit with our internationally high income tax personal allowance from July this year. This is the largest ever increase to a personal tax starting threshold, meaning the amount people can earn before paying tax will increase by £2,690.

Tax Avoidance: Repayments

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people seeking refunds due to the changes made by the Morse Review have been refunded by HMRC.

Lucy Frazer: This question is answered on the basis that your question is about HMRC’s Disguised Remuneration (DR) Repayment Scheme 2020.Following Lord Morse’s Independent Loan Charge Review in 2019, the Government introduced legislation requiring HMRC to establish a scheme to repay relevant Voluntary Restitution elements of DR settlements.These amounts were voluntary payments that taxpayers had agreed to make as part of settlements concluded before changes were made to the scope of the Loan Charge. Individuals and employers had until 30 September 2021 to apply to HMRC for a refund or waiver.HMRC repays amounts that were paid in DR scheme settlements, and/or waives amounts of instalments due that have not yet been paid if certain conditions are met.As of 18 March 2022, HMRC had processed approximately 1800 applications, of which approximately 1100 had received either a repayment, a waiver, or both. Approximately 700 of the applications processed at that date were either invalid or ineligible.

Tax Avoidance: Prosecutions

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many promoters and operators of schemes subject to the loan charge have been prosecuted for promoting and operating those schemes.

Lucy Frazer: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that was given on 3 November 2021 to Question 62867 and also the answer that was given on 21 February 2022 to Question HL6054.

Arms Trade: Taxation

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a windfall tax on the arms industry to help pay for the UK's contribution to the war in Ukraine.

Lucy Frazer: The UK is at the forefront of efforts to provide diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, and defensive support to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We are providing the critical military aid that Ukraine needs to defend itself and we are making sure UK aid reaches those who need it most, delivering essential supplies and helping bring Ukrainians to safety. At Spring Budget 2021, the Chancellor announced an increase in the Corporation Tax rate from 19 per cent to 25 per cent from 2023 onwards. This will, by definition, only apply to companies that are making profits and will ensure that profitable businesses share in the task of strengthening the public finances. The Government keeps the tax system under review to ensure that it provides a fair and sustainable basis for funding our vital public services.

Capital Allowances

Emma Hardy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) extending the Super-deduction and (b) replacing it with an equivalent to support the ports industry to invest in green infrastructure.

Lucy Frazer: At Spring Statement the government set out that, ahead of the end of the super-deduction, it is considering reforms to best support future business investment. In doing so, it will continue to review the latest evidence, including the impact of the super-deduction and views of businesses. The government is investing £206 million to establish a UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions, which will deliver a suite of interventions focused on decarbonising the maritime sector, and will extend the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition to deliver real-world demonstrations of clean maritime vessels and infrastructure. Freeport tax sites are able to benefit from a suite of tax reliefs including a 100 per cent enhanced capital allowance for plant and machinery and a 10 per cent enhanced structures and buildings allowance for non-residential structures and buildings. Qualifying capital expenditure in freeport tax sites will benefit from those reliefs, thus providing additional support for investment, including green investment, in our ports industry.

Tax Avoidance

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate his Department has made of the amount that will accrue to the Exchequer from the loan charge.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to announce a further review of the loan charge.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received legal advice that supports the view that HMRC can pursue employees and not employers for use of loan schemes.

Lucy Frazer: The Loan Charge was announced at Budget 2016 as part of a package of measures to tackle Disguised Remuneration (DR) tax avoidance. The forecast was last revised at Spring Statement 2022, with the latest estimated overall Exchequer yield of £3.4 billion for the entire package, which includes the Loan Charge. An independent review of the Loan Charge, which was conducted by Lord Morse in 2019, concluded that it was right for the Loan Charge to remain in force and for the Government to collect the tax due. The Government accepted all but one of the twenty recommendations in the review, and the Government has no plans to revisit the policy. The changes to the Loan Charge, following the review’s recommendations, were estimated to reduce the forecast yield and were introduced at Budget 2020 as a separate measure. At Spring Statement 2022 the reduction to the Exchequer yield was estimated to be £620 million. HMRC will go to the employer to settle the tax due or collect the Loan Charge in the first instance. Approximately 80 per cent of the £3.3 billion HMRC brought into charge through DR settlements between Budget 2016 and the end of March 2021 was from employers. However, HMRC will consider other options to collect the tax when collection from the employer is not possible, such as when the employer no longer exists or is based offshore. Liability for the tax is always that of the individual, and the requirement for an employer to account for PAYE does not supersede or remove this liability. Parliament has provided a range of powers allowing HMRC, in certain circumstances, to collect the amount due from the employee.

Corporation Tax: Republic of Ireland

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent comparative assessment he has made of corporation tax revenue per head in the (a) UK and (b) Republic of Ireland.

Lucy Frazer: The Government publishes statistics on Corporation Tax receipts online at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/corporation-tax-statistics-2021 These statistics do not include international comparisons of per capita Corporation Tax receipts.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what powers HMRC has to enforce the National Minimum Wage on vessels operating out of UK ports.

Lucy Frazer: HMRC enforces the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 enables HMRC to enforce NMW across all business sectors in the UK. The Act provides HMRC officers with a number of powers to enforce the NMW, including: the power to inspect records; enforcing payment of arrears of NMW by issuing a Notice of Underpayment; charging penalties of up to 200% of the arrears; and for the most serious cases (involving obstruction, falsifying of documents or wilful failure to pay workers the NMW) referring cases for prosecution to the Crown Prosecution Service. Since 1 October 2020, following a change in the law, seafarers and other maritime persons who work or ordinarily work in the UK or in UK territorial waters (generally 12 nautical miles from the seashore) are generally entitled to NMW.

Agency Workers: Income Tax

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Schedule 44 Section 2 of The Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 in clarifying the obligations of employment agencies and umbrella companies.

Lucy Frazer: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 17 March 2022 to UIN 136608.

Taxation

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the impact on annual revenue for (a) VAT, (b) corporation tax and (c) duties of oil, gas and vehicle fuels in the event that recent high prices persist for 12 months.

Lucy Frazer: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) provides independent analysis of the UK public finances, publishing its latest Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) on the 23rd of March 2022. The EFO contains a comprehensive forecast of tax receipts over a 5 year period. Their forecast is based on market expectations for oil and gas prices, based on those expectations in the 5 working days to 2 March. For the financial year 2022-23, Value Added Tax is forecast to be £154.2bn; Corporation Tax is forecast to be £56.8bn; Vehicle excise duties are forecast to be £7.2bn; and Fuel duties are forecast to be £26.2bn.

Renewable Energy: Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of measures announced in the Spring Statement on energy diversification VAT reductions on investment by social and private landlords in greener energy sources.

Lucy Frazer: The Chancellor announced at Spring Statement 2022 that the VAT relief for the installation of energy saving materials (ESMs) will be expanded in Great Britain. From 1st April 2022, complex eligibility conditions to access the relief will be removed, and wind and water turbines will be reinstated as qualifying materials. Further to this, qualifying installations will benefit from a VAT zero-rate until April 2027. Overall, this represents an additional £280 million of support for investment in ESMs over the next 5 years. This will support the uptake of products to increase the energy efficiency and decarbonisation of residential accommodation. These improvements are key to reducing gas dependency and household bills and are also a vital part of the UK’s transition to Net Zero. Both social and private landlords will benefit from the relief where they pay for qualifying materials to be installed in their residential accommodation. For example, a landlord paying £6,000 for a typical solar panel installation on a residential property will now save up to £1,143 in total VAT relief, while if they were to pay £300 for a typical standard pitched roof insulation installation, they will benefit from £57 in total VAT relief.

Government Departments: Civil Servants

Bim Afolami: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the civil service payroll in central government was, by department, in (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2019 and (d) March 2022.

Mr Simon Clarke: Detailed information of staff costs for each departmental group may be found in their respective Annual Reports and Accounts (ARAs). These can be found here: Annual Reports and Accounts for Central Government Departments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). 2010, 2015, and 2019 data is available but information for 2021-22 will not be available until after the end of the financial year. ARAs are expected to be published from Summer 2022. Additional pay-bill costs, including employer’s social security and pension costs, severance payments and capitalised staff costs, are the difference between salary bill and pay-bill. For salary bill costs please refer to the answer to PQ UIN 145964. Aggregate level staff costs for central government are reported in the Whole of Government Accounts, which can be found here: Whole of Government Accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Data for 2010, 2015 and 2019 is available. Data for 2022 will not be available until after 2021-22 departmental Annual Reports and Accounts have been published and the Whole of Government Accounts have been produced. HM Treasury’s own data collections, at present, do not differentiate between the different types of employment when looking at salary and pay-bill costs. Central government data will therefore include Public Servants, NHS, Armed Forces, and Academies, as well as Civil Servants.

Government Departments: Pay

Bim Afolami: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total salary bill for the civil service in central government was, by department, in (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2019 and (d) March 2022.

Mr Simon Clarke: Total salary bill for the civil service can be approximately calculated using data from Cabinet Office owned national statistics, Civil Service Statistics. Mean earnings data is available, by department, as part of the Civil Service Statistics. These figures represent the mean earnings of all permanent employees on a full-time equivalent basis. They are available by gender and can be found in table 31. Total employees on a full-time equivalent basis, by department, can also be found as part of the Civil Service Statistics. This data can be found in table 8. Using this data, alongside table 36, which gives the gender split in the civil service by department, and table 31 it is possible to calculate an approximate total paybill for each civil service department.  Full tables for 2010, 2015 and 2019 can be found here: Civil Service statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). 2022 data is not yet available but is expected to be published in Summer 2022 on the same website.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Advertising

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to reduce the number of gambling advertisements on television.

Chris Philp: Broadcasters have discretion over how advertising breaks are set and what adverts are broadcast, as long as they comply with the advertising codes. These codes set rules such as preventing gambling adverts from airing around any programmes that particularly appeal to children. All gambling advertising, wherever it appears, is subject to strict controls on content and placement enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority and Ofcom.The gambling industry’s own Code for Socially Responsible Advertising also includes restrictions on televised advertising, such as a ban on showing most forms of gambling advertising before 9 pm, and the ‘whistle-to-whistle’ ban preventing betting ads from airing during and immediately before and after live sporting events.The Government is currently reviewing the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure it is fit for the digital age. As part of its broad scope, the Gambling Act Review will look at the impacts of advertising and marketing by gambling operators, wherever it appears. We will publish a White Paper outlining our conclusions in the coming weeks.

Offences against Children: Internet

Karen Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent the transmission of sexually explicit material of children online.

Chris Philp: The Government introduced the Online Safety Bill to Parliament on 17 March 2022. This ground breaking legislation will tackle the growing and evolving threat of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), including the transmission of sexually explicit material of children online.The Online Safety Bill sets out new duties on in-scope services to tackle illegal content. CSEA is named in the Bill as a priority offence, meaning companies must use systems and processes to minimise and remove this content. The Bill will also place a legal requirement on in-scope services to report online CSEA that they identify on their services. Ofcom can take enforcement action, including large fines, against companies that do not comply with their duties.

Lotteries: Regulation

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will make a comparative  assessment of the regulation of Society Lotteries and Prize Draws.

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the regulation of Prize Draws as part of the Gambling Review.

Chris Philp: The framework for society lotteries is set out in the Gambling Act 2005 (the Act). Section 14 of the Act generally defines a lottery as requiring payment to participate, an outcome determined wholly by chance, and the allocation of prizes.Large society lotteries are subject to strict sales and prize limits, and operate under a licence issued by the Gambling Commission. They are also required to provide a minimum return to good causes.Some products, such as prize competitions and free draws may resemble lotteries but do not meet the definition of a lottery under section 14 of the Act. This might be due to a free entry route or because there is an element of skill involved. Since free draws do not meet the definition of a lottery, they are not considered gambling for the purposes of the Act and the Gambling Commission has no regulatory responsibilities for these products, but it does monitor the boundary between them and society lotteries to ensure that products are regulated when required by the Act.The Government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 in December 2020 with the publication of a Call for Evidence. We received over 16,000 responses, and we are considering all the evidence carefully. The Review is wide-ranging and evidence-led, and aims to make sure that the regulation of gambling is fit for the digital age. We are currently carefully considering all submitted evidence and a white paper will be published in the coming weeks.